The subject this year was "How can I make my community a better place in which to live?"

There were 15 essays from Jim Thorpe High School and two from Marian High School.

The essays will be on display at the Dimmick Memorial Library in Jim Thorpe.

The committee from the American Legion Post 304 were Edward Rontz, chairman and Philip Rodger and William Ocker, members.

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The Dimmick Memorial Library will hold a program on the basics of tracing one's family tree. The program will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday at the library on Broadway in Jim Thorpe. Adults are welcome. For more information, call Merie Walker (717) 325-3125.

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Dale Brown, a sixth-grader at L.B. Morris school, won the school-level competition of the National Geography Bee recently with a chance at a $25,000 college scholarship. The school-level bee, at which students answered oral question on geography, was the first round in the eighth annual National Geography Bee, sponsored by National Geographic World and Chrysler Corporation. The school winners, including Brown, will take a written test; up to 100 will be eligible to compete in the state Bee on March 29.

The National Geography Bee National Championship is on May 28 and 29.

LEHIGHTON

Dr. David J. Newton will open his new office this month.

Newton attained a B.S. degree in biology from Temple University and his M.D. degree from Hahnemann University School of Medicine of Philadelphia in June of 1990. He did his internal medicine training at Robert Packer Hospital, Sayre, from 1990 to 1993.

He spent the last two years in a fellowship program training in the specialty of gastroenterology at the Guthrie Clinic, Sayre.

Newton is board-certified in both internal medicine and gastroenterology (diseases fo the digestive tract).

Newton was born in Palmerton and reared in Lehighton.

He is married to the former Virginia Schiavone of Allentown.

He is the son of Richard and Stella Newton of Lehighton.

PALMERTON

The Red Cross bloodmobile will visit Palmerton from 11:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. on Monday at Palmerton Borough Hall on Delaware Avenue. The goal for this visit is 115 pints. There is a critical need for donations at this time.

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If you have any Carbon news for this column, write to Linda Asbath, 157 S. 1st St., Lehighton 18235, or call her at (610) 377-3530 or (717) 668-6397. Information must be received by noon of the Thursday before publication.